MVP 2.0 Planning Vendor

[Town of Newbury]
[Conservation Department]
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
MVP 2.0 Planning Vendor
5/4/2026
Contents:
* Overview of Opportunity
* MVP 2.0 Summary
* Experience & Skill Sets Required of the Planning Vendor/ Vendor Team
* Resources & Support
* Scope of Work & Checkpoints
* Roles & Responsibilities
* Reporting & Final Deliverables
* Details on Materials that Result from this Contract
* Budget
* Submittal Requirements
* Evaluation of Proposals
Overview of Opportunity
Cities, towns, and Tribes throughout Massachusetts are identifying climate vulnerabilities and
investing in community resilience. The MVP 2.0 program, run by the Massachusetts Executive
Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs, expands on the work communities have done to date
and supports communities with new methods, tools, and resources for building climate resilience.
MVP 2.0 is a way for grantees to revisit their community resilience priorities with a focus on equity
and translate those priorities into action through project development and implementation.
The Town of Newbury seeks proposals from qualified individuals or firms to expand the bandwidth
and the capacity of the community, as well as bring skill sets that will benefit the MVP 2.0 process.
The selected Planning Vendor should have demonstrated previous experience in providing
specified services to municipalities. A complete RFP may be obtained, without charge, at 12 Kent
Way, Byfield, MA, or by contacting the conservation department at 978-465-0862 x310,
conscom@newburyma.gov. Documents will be available after 4/6/2026 at 12:00 pm through to the
submission deadline on 5/25/2026 at 12:00 pm. Vendors must submit one digital copy, sent to
conscom@newburyma.gov. It is recommended that respondents to this request thoroughly review
the vendor qualifications and the MVP 2.0 Process Guide available here:
https://www.mass.gov/doc/mvp-20-process-guide/download.
MVP 2.0 Summary
The MVP 2.0 program expands on the climate resilience work communities have done to date and
supports them with new methods, tools, and resources for building climate resilience. In
particular, the vendor will support the Grantee in revisiting their community resilience priorities
with a focus on equity and translating those priorities into action through project development and
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implementation. The MVP 2.0 program does this through:
* Convening a community team to lead equitable climate resilience work;
* Providing training on strategies for building climate resilience, equity, and climate justice;
* Revisiting resilience priorities with the involvement of the wider community and a stronger
assessment of social vulnerability and resilience;
* Helping the municipality and community to co-develop and implement a project that builds
community resilience, with guaranteed funding for implementation; and
* Providing a process that can be replicated for future, competitive MVP Action Grants.
This work will be different to the original MVP Planning Grant (MVP 1.0) approach that you may be
familiar with. It focuses less on understanding how extreme weather events will impact
infrastructural and environmental assets in the community, and more on building social resilience.
This includes exploring the factors that create vulnerability or resilience for people living or working
in the community. It involves digging deeper into issues like food security and housing affordability
and understanding how those factors shape what is needed for building resilience to climate
change. The MVP 2.0 process calls on a Core Team with strong connections to communities that
will be most impacted by climate change, and Planning Vendors that bring different skill sets than
in MVP 1.0 (see skill sets detailed in evaluation section below). In addition, every municipality or
region in the MVP 2.0 Program is paired with an Equity Partner. The Equity Partner helps provide
coaching and guidance on topics such as inclusive engagement and measuring the equity impacts
of projects. Together, this team will focus on connecting with and collaborating with community
members, and expanding the voices involved in climate resilience efforts.
The MVP 2.0 process is broken down into three phases. It's designed to be completed over two
years, knowing that it takes time to build new relationships, expand the involvement of the broader
community, and work together to develop and implement a project. Grantees may also continue to
apply for Action Grants while participating in MVP 2.0.
The Planning Vendor will be hired before Step 3 of the process and will be responsible for assisting
the community in implementing Steps 3-8 of the MVP 2.0 Process Guide. If the Planning Vendor is
selected and hired earlier in the process, they may also contribute their support during Steps 1 and
2. Tasks and responsibilities for these initial steps are outlined in the MVP 2.0 Roadmap, which
details how the Planning Vendor can support the Equity Partner and Municipal Lead until Step 3.
Phase 1 - Develop a Core Team. The Core Team is a team of municipal staff/volunteers and
community members who will lead the MVP 2.0 process. Half of the Core Team members will be
community liaisons - members of the community or region who have strong connections with
Environmental Justice (EJ)1 and other priority populations2 who will lead outreach to these
communities throughout the process and who will be compensated for their time with grant
funding. As part of Phase 1, the Grantee, Equity Partner, and Planning Vendor will investigate lived
1 Environmental Justice (EJ) Populations are defined in the 2021 EJ Policy and can be viewed in the MA EJ viewer.
2 Other priority populations are people or communities in addition to mapped EJ populations who may be
disproportionately impacted by climate change due to life circumstances that systematically increase their exposure
to climate hazards or make it harder to respond. In addition to factors that contribute to EJ status (i.e., income, race,
and language), other factors like physical ability, access to transportation, health status, and age shape whether
someone or their community will be disproportionately affected by climate change.
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expertise in the community to identify perspectives that will be important to include on the Core
Team. It's expected that Phase 1 will take about five months.
Phase 2 - Revisit resilience priorities. Building on MVP 1.0 and any climate resilience planning
since, the Core Team facilitated by the Planning Vendor and Equity Partner, will dig deeper into the
factors that contribute to social vulnerability and resilience for people who live and work in the
community. This step will kick off collaboration of the Core Team with team-building activities, and
then involve connecting with EJ and other priority populations in the community or region and
investigating community and climate data to identify community resilience needs. Finally, the Core
Team will revisit their community resilience priorities from MVP Planning 1.0 to make sure they
reflect any progress, new information, as well as updated understanding of community resilience
needs. Throughout, the Equity Partner will provide coaching on how to think about climate equity in
the community and inclusive engagement. It's expected that Phase 2 will take about six months.
Phase 3 - Implement a Seed Project. A Seed Project is a project selected by the Core Team that will
advance the community's resilience priorities, and that can be completed in 9-10 months. In
Phase 3, the Core Team will develop a project idea, vet that idea with the community, develop an
implementation plan (including a session led by the Equity Partner on equity metrics), and
implement the Seed Project. The MVP 2.0 process finishes by reflecting on what went well and how
it will adjust the approach for future Action Grants or other resilience efforts. The actual
implementation of the Seed Project will be covered under separate procurement and will be
allotted $50,000 of grant funding per community with no local match required. The responsibility of
the Planning Vendor being hired through this RFP will be to help the community select a Seed
Project and build out the implementation plan. It does not include actual implementation of the
Seed Project unless specified by the Grantee. It's expected that Phase 3 will take about 13 months.
Experience & Skill Sets Required of the Planning Vendor/ Vendor Team
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The Planning Vendor or vendor team will need to bring capability and experience in the following
three areas:
1. Equity-Centered Project Facilitation - This skill set is important for managing the process
and guiding and facilitating decision-making within the Core Team. Equity-centered project
facilitation requires skills and experience in consensus building, managing various types of
power dynamics, cultural sensitivity, project management, and organizational
development to support diversity, equity, and inclusion. Ideally, the person or team bringing
this experience would be a neutral entity without prior stake in the issues.
2. Community-Driven Processes - This skill set is important for supporting the Equity Partner
and municipal staff in recruiting a Core Team, and community outreach and engagement.
This area requires expertise in equitable and inclusive approaches to outreach,
engagement, and community-led processes. Strong local knowledge and connections
within the community are a significant asset. This role could be filled by someone who has
strong relationships with communities throughout the town, city, or region.
3. Climate and Community Resilience - This skill set is important for supporting the Equity
Partner and Core Team in identifying the root causes of climate and social vulnerability,
developing actions for building community resilience, and in designing a Seed Project. This
area requires expertise in project design and development, climate and community data,
assessing climate and social vulnerability, approaches to building climate resilience,
equity and climate justice. Strong local climate data and impacts knowledge is a significant
asset. This role should be filled by someone that has strong experience with climate-related
work.
Additional Experience
In addition to the qualifications listed above, the Planning Vendor/ vendor team should have
demonstrated experience in the following areas:
* Experience with facilitation or consensus building.
* Experience working in multi-racial, multicultural, or socially vulnerable groups.
* Experience managing projects.
* Local expertise.
Resources & Support
The Grantee will work with the Planning Vendor to help manage and facilitate the process and will
be provided with a set of guidance documents and tools for completing the process. Additionally,
the project team will use the Guides for Equitable and Actionable Resilience (GEAR) online tool
which provides access to community data, downscaled climate projections, and guidance for
investigating and understanding local climate vulnerability. The MVP Program's team of Regional
Coordinators (RCs) will also provide support and guidance in the process (see list of MVP
checkpoints below).
Scope of Work & Checkpoints
The Planning Vendor will work with the Grantee to conduct the following tasks to complete the MVP
2.0 process. The Planning Vendor will be hired before Step 3 of the process and will be responsible
for assisting the community in implementing Steps 3-8 of the MVP 2.0 Process Guide. If the
Planning Vendor is selected and hired earlier in the process, they may also contribute their support
during Steps 1 and 2. Tasks and responsibilities for these initial steps are outlined in the MVP 2.0
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Roadmap, which details how the Planning Vendor can support the Equity Partner and Municipal
Lead until Step 3.
Phase 1: Developing a Core Team
Step 1: Starting to Build Yor Team (1-2 Months) - TO BE LED BY THE MUNICIPAL PROJECT
MANAGER
Goals: MVP Checkpoints:
* Hire a Planning Vendor (or * Just after award - The Municipal Project Manager will
vendor team) to support the receive an award letter, a timeline, a contract, and the
MVP 2.0 process name and contact information of the Equity Partner
* Recruit the municipal staff (EP) assigned to the community from the MVP team.
who will be on the Core The MVP Regional Coordinator (RC) for your region
Team. will contact you to schedule quarterly check-ins.
* Just after award - The community's EP will be in
contact to set up a meeting between the Municipal
Project Manager, RC, and EP to kick off the process
and to discuss Planning Vendor selection.
* After selecting a Planning Vendor - Email the
contract, contact information, and qualifications for
your selected Planning Vendor to your RC, EP, and the
MVP inbox (mvp@mass.gov).
Step 2: Identifying Lived Expertise (1 Month) - TO BE LED BY THE EQUITY PARTNER
Goal: MVP Checkpoints:
* Identify lived expertise of * Upon completion - Email your completed
people who live and work in Community Exploration to your RC and the MVP
the community and inbox (mvp@mass.gov) before moving on to Step 3.
perspectives that will be
important to include on the
Core Team.
Step 3: Recruiting the Rest of Your Team (2 Months) - PLANNING VENDOR MUST BE HIRED
BY THIS POINT
Goal: MVP Checkpoints:
* Recruit and onboard the * Upon completion - Email a list of your Core Team
Community Liaison Core members to your RC and the MVP inbox
Team Members. (mvp@mass.gov) before moving on to Step 4. Note
which members are Community Liaisons, the
communities they are connected to, and how much
they will be compensated.
Phase 2: Revisiting Resilience Priorities
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Step 4: Kicking off Collaboration (1 Month)
Goal: MVP Checkpoints:
* Create a foundation for * Upon completion - Email your completed Discussion
working together through Guide to your RC and the MVP inbox (mvp@mass.gov)
team building, orientation, before moving on to Step 5.
and discussion.
Step 5: Uncovering Social Resilience (3 Months)
Goal: MVP Checkpoints:
* To identify factors that * Upon completing your Engagement Plan - Email
contribute to vulnerability your completed Engagement Plan to your RC and
and resilience for people who the MVP inbox (mvp@mass.gov) before starting on
live and work in the your engagement activities.
community and region. * Upon completion of Step 5 - Email your completed
Social Resilience Roadmap to your RC and the MVP
inbox (mvp@mass.gov) before moving on to Step 6.
Step 6: Revisiting Resilience Priorities (2 Months)
Goals: MVP Checkpoints:
* Revisit and update * Upon completion of Step 6 - Email your completed
community resilience Resilience Priorities Guide to your RC and the MVP
priorities (from MVP 1.0) inbox (mvp@mass.gov) before moving on to Step 7.
based on what was learned in
Step 5.
* Vet the updated priorities
with the community.
Phase 3: Implementing a Seed Project
Step 7: Selecting a Seed Project (1 Month)
Goals: MVP Checkpoints:
* Identify a Seed Project idea(s) * Once you have identified a few Seed Project
that will advance one or more ideas - Email your preliminary Seed Project ideas to
of the community resilience your RC for feedback before vetting the Seed
priorities. Project ideas with the community.
* Vet the project idea(s) with * Upon completion - Email your completed Seed
the community. Project Plan Part A to your RC and the MVP inbox
(mvp@mass.gov) before moving on to Step 8.
Submitting Part A and approval from your RC will
unlock funding for Seed Project implementation.
Step 8: Developing and Implementation Plan (1 Month)
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Goal: MVP Checkpoints:
* Develop an implementation * Upon completion - Email your completed Seed
plan for the Seed Project that Project Plan Part B to your RC and the MVP inbox
will help translate the idea (mvp@mass.gov) before moving on to Step 9.
into action. * Upon completion - Submit the MVP 2.0 Interim
Submission Form, which includes answering some
summary questions about the process and
uploading all completed deliverables thus far
(Steps 1-8).
* Upon completion - Ensure that all Community
Liaison (CL) Members, that do not extend their one
year commitment into a second year for
participation in Steps 9 and 10 of the Seed Project
implementation, complete the Reflection Guide at
this time. If they choose to continue, they will
complete the Reflection Guide in Step 10.
Step 9: Implementing the Seed Project (Ten months) - TO BE LED BY SEPARATE VENDOR
UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED BY THE GRANTEE
Goal: MVP Checkpoints:
* Implement the Seed Project, * Halfway through Seed Project implementation -
and in doing so, build Email or set up a call with your RC to provide a
resilience and capability progress update.
within the community or
region.
Step 10: Reflecting, Adjusting, and Next Steps (1 Month) - TO BE LED BY CORE TEAM
Goals: MVP Checkpoints:
* Reflect on the process in * Upon completion- Submit the MVP 2.0 Final
order to evolve and improve it Submission Form, which includes uploading the
for future resilience building completed deliverables from Steps 9 and 10, including
efforts. documentation of the Seed Project.
* Close out the MVP 2.0
Process.
Roles & Responsibilities
The MVP 2.0 Roadmap is an example resource that breaks down the process meeting-by-meeting,
outlining roles, responsibilities, and time commitments. In summary:
Planning Vendor/Vendor Team
* Project management
* Help to recruit and onboard community liaisons
* Facilitate working sessions and meetings with the Core Team
* Coordinate and support community outreach and engagement
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* Coordinate and support in investigating community and climate data
* Support the Equity Partner facilitate discussions with the Core Team to unpack community
vulnerability and resilience, and to update resilience priorities
* Support the Core Team in developing a Seed Project and drafting an implementation plan to
build equitable community resilience
* Take notes, draft content, incorporate feedback, and oversee the completion of
deliverables
Equity Partner (hired and assigned by EEA)
* Help the municipal project manager select a Planning Vendor and select municipal staff to
serve on the Core Team
* Lead Step 2: Identifying Lived Expertise
* Lead learning sessions about equity and climate justice
* Provide guidance and support in recruiting Community Liaisons
* Lead onboarding of Community Liaisons
* Help the Core Team think through, plan, and execute inclusive and equitable outreach and
engagement
* Assist in developing Seed Project ideas with an eye to how they are advancing equity goals
Grantee/Municipal Staff
* Complete a contract with the Commonwealth and maintain all necessary reporting
* Procure a Planning Vendor based on the provided vendor qualifications
* Recruit municipal staff to participate in the Core Team
* Work with an EEA-procured and assigned Equity Partner to ensure equity and
Environmental Justice is central to the process
* Help to recruit Community Liaisons
* Participate in working sessions and meetings of the Core Team
* Help implement community outreach and engagement
* Participate in learning sessions about equity and climate justice
* Identify/procure an Implementation Vendor to lead or support the implementation of the
Seed Project; work with the Implementation Vendor and community stakeholders to
implement the Seed Project (Step 9)
* Reflect on the MVP 2.0 process, and submit the MVP 2.0 Final Submission form with all
associated deliverables to the MVP team (Step 10)
Community Liaisons
Community Liaisons will make up approximately half of the members on your Core Team, be
compensated for their time through the grant funding, and play an important role in making sure
the insight, needs, and priorities of those most impacted by climate change inform decisions
throughout the process. Community Liaisons (approximately five) will help implement the MVP 2.0
process. Community Liaisons will be paid out of the grant funding and responsibilities will include
the following activities:
* Work closely with the other members of the Core Team (other Community Liaisons and
Grantee staff) for unified project coordination
* Participate in learning sessions about equity and climate justice
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* Attend and participate in regular Core Team meetings
* Organize, promote, and facilitate engagement activities with members of the community
* Gather insight from the community about community needs and factors that contribute to
social vulnerability
* Work with other Core Team members to update the community's priorities for building
climate resilience
* Work with other Core Team members to identify, develop, and implement a project that
supports community resilience
* Develop and maintain trusting relationships in the community
Reporting & Final Deliverables
Please see "checkpoints" column in the table above for required actions and deliverables. After
Step 8, the Planning Vendor will help the community submit the MVP 2.0 Interim Submission Form
with deliverables from Steps 1-8. The Grantee will submit the MVP 2.0 Final Submission Form in
Step 10.
Other close-out materials not listed in checkpoints above:
* Final invoice(s) demonstrating all grant funding was spent according to the contract scope
of work.
Details on Materials that Result from this Contract
All materials, software, maps, reports, and other products produced through the grant program
shall be considered in the public domain and thus available at the cost of production. All materials
created through this opportunity and as a result of this award should credit the Executive Office of
Energy and Environmental Affairs Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness (MVP) program.
Budget
Upon admittance to the MVP 2.0 Program the Grantee was awarded a funding amount of $50,000.
Below is a sample budget for the completion of the MVP 2.0 Process. The budget below provides a
sample breakdown of this grant funding across Community Liaisons, the Planning Vendor, a
Subject Matter Advisor, and direct costs for engagement. The Planning Vendor will work with the
community to determine the means of distribution of funding to the Community Liaisons or any
additional project components the community may want to pay for directly from the budget. The
Planning Vendor shall be responsible for directly compensating the Community Liaisons as
subcontractors. An Excel version of this budget is available here with additional details.
Note: The sample budget below details the total hours and amounts for all steps of the process,
assuming that the Planning Vendor is hired in Step 1. This budget is subject to change depending
on when the Planning Vendor is hired before Step 3.
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Community Liaisons Total Task
Task Planning Vendor
(+ municipal volunteers) Cost
$40 $150
Hours per
Step # People Total Total hours Total Total
person
Step 1: Starting to Build Your Team (1-2 months) 0 0 $0 3 $450 $450
Step 2: Identifying Lived Expertise (1 month) 0 0 $0 6.5 $975 $975
Step 3: Recruiting the Rest of Your Team (2 months) 5 3.5 $700 19 $2,850 $3,550
Step 4: Kicking off Collaboration (1 month) 5 4.5 $900 9 $1,350 $2,250
Step 5: Uncovering Social Resilience (3 months) 5 25.5 $5,100 40 $6,000 $11,100
Step 6: Revisiting Resilience Priorities (2 months) 5 13 $2,600 28 $4,200 $6,800
Step 7: Selecting Seed Project (1 month) 5 15 $3,000 25 $3,750 $6,750
Step 8: Seed Project Implementation Plan (1 month) 5 6.5 $1,300 14.5 $2,175 $3,475
Step 9: Implementing Seed Project (10 months) (All costs to be covered by the Seed Project funding)
Step 10: Reflecting, Adjusting, and Next Steps (1 month) 5 2 $400 0 $0 $400
Discretionary Hours 5 10 $2,000 50 $7,500 $9,500
Total - 80 $16,000 195 $29,250 $45,250
DIRECT COSTS
Funding for a subject matter advisor(s) to advise on the development of the Seed Project
Subject Matter Advisor(s)
Implementation Plan. This total assumes approximately 5 hours at $150 per hour. $800
Direct costs (e.g., translation, printing) for Core Team recruitment; direct costs (e.g., food) for
Core Team Recruitment and Meetings
the Core Team Meet & Greet (Step 3) and the "Dinner and a Movie" session (Step 4). $550
Step 5 Engagement (Uncovering Social Resilience)
Direct costs for engagement activities, including (as relevant) translation and interpretation, $1,500
food, venue, participation gift cards, printing, materials, additional community partners involved
Step 6 Engagement (Vetting Resilience Priorities) in supporting engagement, or other costs. Any costs paid for directly by Core Team members
should be reimbursed. There is a statewide contract municipalities may use when procuring $950
translation and interpretation services (https://www.mass.gov/doc/prf75/download).
Step 7 Engagement (Vetting Seed Project Ideas)
$950
Total Direct Costs $4,750
TOTAL PROJECT COST $50,000
Submittal Requirements
Please submit one paper copy to the Town of Newbury Municipal Offices at 12 Kent Way,
Byfield, MA, 01922. In addition, a digital copy should be emailed to conscom@newburyma.gov.
Proposals shall include the following and shall be organized using each of the elements listed
below as section headings:
A. Planning Vendor and/or sub-Vendor Description: Provide a brief description of the
firm/organization, including size and area of specialization, location of headquarters, and
location of office proposed to handle this project.
B. Project Team: Provide names, contact information, resumes, and office locations of key
staff who will be assigned to the project. Each team member's education and qualifications
shall be listed. The project manager shall be clearly identified. If different consultants will
be teaming together, indicate who will be the day-to-day contact person/team.
C. Qualifications: Provide a description of how the Planning Vendor/vendor team meets the
three areas of required experience and skill sets described above: Equity-Centered Project
Facilitation, Community-Driven Processes, and Climate and Community Resilience. See
how this will be evaluated below for the types of information to include here.
D. Additional Experience: Provide a description of the following:
a. Experience with facilitation or consensus building. Describe the Planning Vendor
team's experience with facilitation and consensus building within a group or project
team. Provide details on one or more projects or initiatives where members of the
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